McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University Program

Neurology Analyst Verified · Oct 3, 2026

McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University Program

McGaw Medical Center of Northwestern University Program is a residency program specializing in Neurology, located in Chicago, Illinois, directed by Danny Bega, MD, MS and coordinated by Alex Gough. The program accepts applications through October 31, 2026 and holds an accreditation status of Continued. International Medical Graduates interested in this program may contact the program coordinator directly at neuroresidency@northwestern.edu or (312) 503-5706. IMGPrep analysts have verified and compiled this program’s IMG acceptance rate, USMLE Step 1 and Step 2 score requirements, Visa Sponsorship Policy, graduation year cutoff, and ECFMG certificate requirements — available to IMGPrep subscribers.

Program Identity & Fit

Northwestern's Davee Department of Neurology is a large, research-intensive academic program embedded in a tertiary/quaternary neuroscience enterprise spanning eleven subspecialty divisions, each with its own clinical and research core (ALS, stroke/NeuroNEXT, epilepsy, movement disorders, cognitive neurology/Alzheimer's, neuromuscular, neuroimmunology, sleep/circadian medicine, neuro-oncology, neuro-infectious/global neurology). Training is centered at nationally ranked Northwestern Memorial Hospital sites in downtown Chicago, with a 24-bed neuro-ICU, a large epilepsy monitoring/surgical program, and a busy neuro-oncology service, giving residents deep subspecialty exposure and graded clinical autonomy. Research is structurally embedded rather than optional: a required Evidence-Based Medicine curriculum, a NINDS UE5-funded post-residency research fellowship pathway, an R25/PSTP track, and active participation in multicenter trial networks signal that the program actively cultivates physician-investigators alongside clinicians and educators. Distinctive features include a formal "How to Teach" and Business of Medicine curriculum for career preparation and a unique one-month global neurology elective in Zambia, reflecting explicit investment in educator and global-health-oriented career paths in addition to academic subspecialization.

Who it fits

The applicant whose ERAS narrative centers on academic neurology ambition—prior subspecialty research (e.g., neurodegeneration, epilepsy, stroke trials, or neuroimmunology), interest in a physician-scientist or academic-educator trajectory, and demonstrated curiosity about global or resource-limited neurologic care—will find this program's structure a natural extension of their story.

Research intensity

Strong - research is structurally integrated through required curricula, dedicated funded pathways (R25/PSTP, NINDS UE5 fellowship), and consortium participation, though not mandatory for every resident's career outcome.

Career orientation

Mixed - Academic Medicine, Fellowship

Important

The program requires at least one year of an approved internal medicine preliminary program or a transitional year with a minimum of eight months of internal medicine prior to entry, and reserves ten preliminary spots at Northwestern Memorial Hospital specifically for matched applicants who wish to complete all four years on site.

Choose Specialty / Choose Another Program

Neurology

Deadline 10/31/2026

25 days left

Accreditation Status Continued

SCORE

USMLE STEP 1

USMLE STEP 2

SCORE NOTES

VISA POLICY

VISA

GRADUATION CUT OFF

CLINICAL EXPERIENCE

ECFMG CERTIFICATE

PROGRAM MISSION STATEMENT

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CURRENT RESIDENTS